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Story Publication logo October 14, 2022

DRC-Cameroon: The Worrying Future of Sacred Forests (French)

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The sacred forests of the highlands of western Cameroon and the Equateur Province in DRC are...

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This story excerpt was translated from French. To read the original story in full, visit Actualite.cd. You may also view the original story on the Rainforest Journalism Fund website here. Our website is available in English, Spanish, bahasa Indonesia, French, and Portuguese.


Considered as the last bastion of biodiversity conservation, the so-called sacred forests (places of ancestral rites, traditional knowledge and sacrificial practices) are not exempt from the threat of disappearance of forests due to human activity.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, as in Cameroon, village communities are witnessing the disappearance of their sacred forests.

Poverty, the frantic search for firewood, urbanization, and poor land management are cited as the main causes of this situation.

To try to limit the damage in an increasingly expanding world, initiatives are set up by different actors, civil society, non-governmental organizations, and governments. But the fight is far from being won in view of the reality on the ground.


Village in a sacred forest in Cameroon. Image courtesy of Actualite.cd.

For José Mubake, inhabitant of Mbankana, traditional chiefs are primarily responsible for the disappearance of sacred forests. Image courtesy of Actualite.cd.

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